Part One Entire Article Part Three
Photosynthesis & "Greenhouse Effect (Part Two)
By José Reyes
The most important
aspect of the Sun and especially Sunlight is Photosynthesis, 
the gift of life. Photosynthesis is the conversion of Light
Energy to Chemical
Energy and storing
it in bonds
of Sugar.
Photosynthesis converts Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
and Water(H20)
to Glucose and Oxygen (O) Photosynthesis is also carried out by bacteria,
mainly in the ocean with the growth of other types of plants. These bacteria (Cyanobacteria)
take light energy and use it to convert the CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) they
consume to create organic materials by reducing the gas and changing it to
carbohydrates.
I have a cross-section of a plant leaf (TOP) to show how the process of
photosynthesis occurs. 
Photosynthesis
happens in cells in the middle
cells
(Mesophyll Cells) of the leaf. These cells contain tiny bodies called Chloroplasts;
these contain a green chemical called Chlorophyll.
The Chlorophyll
changes light energy to chemical energy. Plants will achieve the main goal of
producing Oxygen but there are several factors that could limit or even halt the
whole process. <To
The Left< A
closeup of a Mesophyll Cell.
Check out this Beautiful Illustration of Photosynthesis >> Olympus Microscopes
Light Reaction and Dark Reaction
There are two parts to
Photosynthesis, the Light
Reaction and
the Dark Reaction.
The Light Reaction happens in the Thylakoid
membrane, located
in the chloroplast and converts light energy to chemical energy. This chemical
reaction must, therefore, take place in the light. Chlorophyll and several other
pigments such as beta-carotene
are organized in clusters in the Thylakoid
membrane and are
involved in the light reaction.
The Dark Reaction takes place in the Stroma within the chloroplast, and converts CO2 to sugar. This reaction doesn't directly need light in order to occur, but it does need the products of the light reaction (ATP and another chemical called NADPH). The dark reaction involves a cycle called the Calvin Cycle in which CO2 and energy from ATP are used to form sugar. More on the Calvin Cycle Process
Limiting Factors Preventing Photosynthesis:
1. Light: A plant may have lots of water and carbon dioxide, but it will not photosynthesize very fast if there is not enough light. The more you increase the light the faster photosynthesis takes place.
2. Temperature: If the temperature is to cold the enzymes used to produce photosynthesis will not work properly.
3. Carbon Dioxide: The lack of enough carbon dioxide even though light is plentiful will also stop the photosynthesis process.
The overall chemical reaction involved in photosynthesis is:
6CO2 + 6H2O (+ light energy) = C6H12O6 + 6O2
(This is the source of The O2 we breathe)
The "Green House" Effect
The
"Greenhouse Effect" process, in general, is the reason why life exist
on earth but remember, if the sunlight which nourishes the soil did not exist,
then there would not be any life at all. The "Greenhouse Effect"
creates the perfect combination of gases which in turn, traps the heat brought
in by sunlight and reflects it back to the surface. The Earth's atmosphere is
composed of several layers located at different altitudes. The Greenhouse Effect
takes place in lowest layer, the Troposphere. The Earth's Total Atmosphere is
primarily composed of Nitrogen (N2, 78%), Oxygen (O2,
21%). The other 1% are the Greenhouse gases, water (H2O, 0 - 7%),
Ozone (O
Learn More About: The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
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